Musical Mondays

I started this blog mainly to make myself write more, but hopefully I will share a few inspiring stories while I write. Today I want to share some things my family does together.

         Several years ago, Keith and I decided to have our son take guitar lessons. We wanted him to learn something besides sports; something he could use his entire life. We found a wonderful guitar teacher, but quickly realized guitar was not for Clayton- he was a drummer. Luckily, the same place also offered drum lessons, and the drumming began. Since I'm not the type to just sit around, I decided to take guitar while he was learning drums. It was a great time for us, and something we both enjoyed.
       
       Two years ago, Keith decided he wanted to learn piano. He doesn't have any other hobbies and has always enjoyed music and my teacher's wife teaches keyboard. So it began. We would have our music lesson and drive back to get Carolyn from her competitive gymnastics class. About six months later, Carolyn decided she wanted to stop gymnastics and start piano. Now the entire family takes music on Mondays. Carolyn and I begin at 5, followed by Keith and Clayton at 5:30. After lessons, we go to dinner as a family. In the summer, we go to the lake to ski.
     
        We are not great musicians, but we are learning together. We've learned a few songs to play at church and we practice together, encourage each other, and are doing something together. Learning something new is not easy- not when you've never done anything like it before, and I'm sure we could find something else to spend our money on besides our lessons. But the quality time we are having with our children is priceless. Clayton will soon be 13 and I'm not sure how much longer our "Music Mondays" will last, but hopefully they will always be something he remembers. That his parents decided to join him in music, to learn something along with him that we could always share.
      
      So let me encourage you to find something to do as a family on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. Make sure all family members participate, and not just watch. Learn something together- painting, dance lessons, music, a new sport. anything. And have fun- our children grow way too fast.